Earth anchor



Jan. 9, 1934. A. B. cHANcE 1,942,684

EARTH ANCHOR Filed Feb. 3, 1932 36 .2f Y L@ 7 7% 65,1%# j@ Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES LMLGM EARTH ANCHOR Albert B. Chance, Centralia, M0.

Application February 3,

1o claims.

The present invention relates to earth an- Y chors and is particularly concerned with improvements in earth anchors of the typewhich are installed by forming a hole to place the anchor and driving a guy rod through the earth to'v penetrate the wall of the hole so that the anchor may be attached to the guy rod in the hole.

vision of an improved commercial form of an- Achor of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No.

1,384,825, issued July 19, 1921, having additional advantages. Y One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved mode of installation of earth anchors of the class described, which re' sults in greater strength of the installation with less labor and expense.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved anchor structure which is adapted to hold the anchor at right angles to the rod to prevent up-creeping of the anchor or tilting in such manner that there is a tendency toward upcreeping toward the surface of the earth in the direction of the hole.

`Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved anchor structure of the class described which is provided with a greater earth engaging area by virtue of the reduction of openings, and other improvements in structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved anchor structure which is more easily assembled with the guy rod than the anchors of the prior art and in which I have eliminated the difficulties encountered in the locking of the guy rod head at the entrance to the socket.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved anchor structure having guides of improved form for guiding the guy rod point and head into its proper position with less difculty than that encountered with the devices of the prior art. v

Another object of the invention is an improved vanchor structure of the class described in which the reinforcing members are Vso designed as to increase the strength and eciency of the anchor materially over the devices of the prior art. I Other objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which simi'- lar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawing accompanying this description,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the earth at a plane determined by the guy rod 1932. Serial No. 590,533 (-Cl. 189-90) and the hole which was dug for the anchor, showing the improved mode of installation;

Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view taken through the anchor and guy rod on a plane corresponding to the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the anchor alone on' the plane of the line ,3-3 of' Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a View in perspective of the top ofthe anchor; and

Fig. 5 isa view in` the anchor.

Referring to the drawing, the anchor proper is indicated in its entiretyl by the numeral 10, and the guy rod is indicated by the numeral 1l. The guy rod l1 preferably includes a substantially perspective of the bottom of l cylindrical body portion 12 which is provided at its lower end with a head 13, preferably having a substantially conical point 14. The guy rod l1 is provided at its other end with an improved eye structure 15, which may be single or double, adapted for one cable or a plurality of cables, and which isv preferably adapted to be struck at the end 16 with a sledge or other appropriate driving tool to drive the anchor rod into place. v The anchor 10 is adapted to be used in the hole 17 of Fig. 1 for direct engagement with the earth at the wall of the hole so that the anchor bears against earth which has not been disturbed and which is therefore relatively compact. Since the holes are usually dug with tools adapted to form a round hole,A the body of the anchor 10 comprises a curved plate 18, the curvature corresponding substantially to the curvature of the wall of the hole 17. At the right end of Fig. 4, the plate is provided with an aperture 19 and a notch'20 for engaging the complementary partsof the usual installing tool, shown in my prior patent above mentioned. The anchor 10 preferably comprises a malleable iron casting, but it may be constructed of any suitable 'material The body 18 is preferably made relatively thin, as shown in Fig. 2, in order to save material, but-it is reinforced at its side edges with longitudinally extending transverse flanges 21, 22 extending from one end of the anchor to the. other; Atthe intermediate part of the anchor, from the point 23 to the point 24, on each side, the anges 21 and 22 may be made substantially wider and thicker, in order to increase the strength of the anchor as a cantilever adjacent the center. The thick and wider por- .tions of the flanges 21, 22 have been indicated by the numerals 25, 26.

At the center of the anchor, substantially midway between its ends and side flanges 21, 22, the anchor is provided with an aperture 27 for receiving the guy rod 11. The aperture 27 is bordered on the upper side of the anchor by the vertically extending fianges 28, 29, 30, which are adapted to engage on three sides of the cylindrical body 12 of the guy rod 11, for a purpose to be described in greater detail later. The flanges 28 and 30 are, therefore, spaced from each other a distance which is only slightly greater than the diameter of the cylindrical body 12 of the guy rod so as to provide a slight clearance on either side of the guy rod to permit the guy rod to b inserted readily.

The curved portion or flange 29 is curved complementarily to the cylindrical surface of the guy rod body 12, and the flange 29 extendsy upward at right angles to the anchor plate 18 to hold the guy rod at substantially right angles under predetermined conditions.

The anchor 10 is also preferably provided with a reinforcing flange 31 extending from the curved iiange 29 to the plate 18 and tapering in width, and it is provided with laterally extending reinforcing ribs or flanges 32, 33, extending from the flanges 28 and 30 respectively to the side flanges 21 and 22 of the anchor respectively. The reinforcing ribs 32, 33 give the anchor the required lateral strength and are also adapted to bite into the earth when the anchor is drawn into engagement with the wall of the hole, to prevent creeping of the anchor in the direction of its length.

These ribs 32, 33 are preferably made of the same height as the flanges or collars 28, 29, 30, which surround the guy rod.

The anchor body 18 has a similar curvature at the portions 34, 35 of the body. The portions 34, 35 are substantially trapezoidal in plan or approximately triangular, and are bordered by the upwardly extending guide flanges 36, 37, respectively. The guide flanges 36, 37 extend from the left end of the anchor in Fig. 4 to the flanges 28, 30 respectively, and the guide flanges 36 and 37 gradually increase in width from the end 38 toward the center of the anchor.

The anchor body between the guide flanges 36 and 37 comprises a substantially fiat triangular portion 39 which is preferably located substantially in a plane defined by the outer edges of the anchor 10. The flat triangular portion 39 is adapted to be engaged by the point 14 of the guy rod 11 to provide a guide surface for the end of the guy rod in conjunction with the guide flanges 36 and 37.

It will be observed that the at triangular portion 39 is disposed below the surface of the curved portions 34, 35, thereby greatly increasing the depth of the guide anges 36 and 37 and facilitating the movement of the guy rod head into proper position.

At the point 40 the plate 39 is provided with an aperture 40 of sufficient size to pass the head 13 of the guy rod readily.

The aperture 40 is an extensionof the aperture 27 and is in communication with the aperture 27 at one side. In other words, the aperture 27 may be regarded as forming a slot on the upper side of the anchor, the slot being of sufficient width to engage the sides of the guy rod, and one end of the slot opening into the space between the guide flanges 36 and 37 and also being in communication with the opening 40. `At the points 41, 42, the guide flanges 36, 37 taper in more sharply to meet the flanges 28 and 30. At these of the guy rod 11.

rounds the slot 27 is only slightly larger than the points 41 and 42, the upwardly extending anges 41, 42 may correspond substantially in curvature to the curvature of the circular aperture 4G. Thus the shoulders 43, 44 are so close together that they will not pass the cylindrical part 13 of the head of the guy rod, but if the guy rod is inserted with its head through the hole 40, the cylindrical body 12 of the guy rod will pass between the shoulders 43, 44, permitting the guy rod body 12 to slide laterally into the slot formed by the flanges 28, 29 and 30.

It should be noted that the area of opening in the face of the anchor has been reduced to a minimum to increase the area of the anchor and increase its eiiiciency, but at the same time provthe anchor so that thehead would slide into the proper position.

With the present construction the flanges 36 and 37 are of such depth that there is no possibility of the. conical point camming up over the flanges 36, 37, and the head is guided in towardthe center of the anchor and toward the aperture 4G without difficulty under any conditions.

Referring to Fig. 5, this is a view in perspective 1.

vided with laterally extending reinforcing ribs 45, 46 extending from the flanges 36, 37 adja`- cent the aperture 40, to the side ribs 25, 26. j

The apertures 27 and 40l are (alsoy preferably surrounded with integral outwardly projecting walls or flanges 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 on this side of` the anchor. The walls or flanges 47 to 51inelusive extend downwardfrom the curved body 18 (or upward, in Fig. 5) and are preferablyof such width that their upper edges are flush with Ythe lower surfaceof the plate 39 and ribs 45,' 46. "The anchor is also preferably provided with a pair o f diagonally extending tapered ribs 52, 53 extending from the curved walls 49, 59, .51 to the corners of theanchor at the right hand in Fig. 5.

The slot 27 communicates on the lowei` side of` the anchor with a socket 54, which is of sufficient size to receive the substantially cylindrical head The shoulder 55 which surwidth of the annular shoulder 56 on theupper side ,of the head in Fig, 2. The curved wall57 which forms the outer'wall of socket 54 is substantially complementary to the cylindrical surface of the head 13. A pair of sloping surfaces 58, 59 are formed at the end of the socket 54 These' anges taper in width, from the center of the anchor outward and increase the toward the aperture 40 for permitting the head tov slide downward into thesocket 54`and to iprovide a critical point 60 at one" sidev of the aperture 40 to facilitate the insertion of the head to' the proper position. When the head 13 passes the point 60 it is adapted thereafter to'slide down the sloping surface 58 tobe automatically tially triangular hole.

guided into the socket 54.

The advantages of such a structure can best be appreciated by comparing the structure of thel` plesentanchor with the devices'of the prior art in which the guideV anges formed a substanpriorV art there was a marked tendency for the head lto become locked at the entrance ofthe slot leading to the socket, and diflculties were frequently encountered'in the placing `of theanproper position Without difficulty and that once it has reached the proper position it is securely I held there.

Referring to Fig. 1, this is a sectional view taken on a plane determined by the guy rod andthe hole which is dug or bored for the an' chor, showing the preferred improved method of installing the present anchor. In order to in stall the guy rod 11 in a position which approximates the vertical, it is necessary to dig or bore hole 17 in a more nearly horizontal position than would'be necessary to install the guy rod 11 at' a greater angle. The guy rod 11 and the axis of hole 17 theoretically should be at substantially right angles to each other so that the curved plate 18 or body of the anchor will strike the solid earth at the side of the hole, and a greater resistance will be encountered than would be the case if the anchor were brought into engagement with-the loose earth.

In order to prevent an excessive amount of digging there is a tendency for the workman to dig or bore the holes 17 more nearly vertical because the depth of the hole is necessarily in-l creased as the direction of the hole diverges from the vertical. This tendency to dig the holes more nearly vertical causes the frequent installation of anchors in such position that the body of the( anchor does not extend exactly at right angles tothe guy rod; With an ordinary hole the wall of the hole would extend uniformly from the surface lof the ground and byrcomparison with1 the axis line 62 of the guy rod 11 it will be noted that the anchor` would not be at right angles to the guy rod l1. Provision is made for this situation in the anchor described in my'prior patentby the provision of an inclined or tapered vportion l() in the slot for the guy rod so thatV the guy rod may extend at an acute angle to the' body ofthe anchor.

When an anchor is installed along the lines 61, 62 of Fig. l, there is a tendency for the anchor to creep upward in the hole 17. The axial force on the guy rod l1 may be resolved into two components, one extending in the direction of the arrow 63, and the other in the direction of the arrow 64. These components are at right angles to each other, and the component 64 is in the direction of the plane of the anchor plate or along the line of the hole 17. The component 64 tends to cause the anchor to creep, and this cornponent is brought about by the fact that the anchors of the prior art were not held at right an- In the devices of thel gles -to the guy rod, but were permitted to tilt with -respect-to `the guy rod. With the anchor ofv the present construction the body 12 of the guy rod engages the curvedlsurface or flange 29, and this Vis adapted to prevent the anchor from tiltingwith respect to the/'guy rod;

It shouldbe vnoted that the'lower end of the anchor tends to come into engagementV with the upper wall of the hole 17 first, so that the tendto such a point that the surface 66 of the earth* inthe hole `extends at substantially right angles to the direction ofthe guy rod 11. The preferred mode of installation of the anchor, therefore, includes the undercutting of the diagonal hole in such'a manner'that the anchor may be installed atright angles to the guy rod and brought into engagement with the surface of relatively solid earth over the entire area of the anchor.

It will thus be observed that I have invented Yan improved anchor and an improved mode of installation which has substantial advantages overA the anchors of the'prior art. The present Vanchorhas a greaterv area for engagement with the earth, and it is adapted to' be held at right angles to the guy rod so as to prevent the tendency of Vthe anchor to creep upward along the direction ofthe hole. The present anchor is installed more easily, and there is no possibility of; the head or shank of the guy rod locking at Vency towards tiltingv is a tendency toward a- `the entrance of the slot leading to the socket for'Y the head of the guy rod. The structure of the guiding surfaces is such that there is a critical pointin the insertion of the guy rod head after which the head is guided quickly into its socket and the anchor falls into place on the head with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the workman.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of lmy invention, many modifications may ceiving the head -of a yguy rod and having a slot for receiving the rod, with a guy rod having a head on its lower end, said guy rod fitting into said slot, and an outwardly projecting ange carried by said anchor plate and adapted to engage the body of said guy rod to hold said anchor at substantially right angles to the axis of the guy rod.

2. In an earth anchor, the combination of a metal anchor plate having an aperture for receiving the head of a guy rod and having a slot for receiving the rod, with a guy rod having a head on its lower end, said guy rod tting into said slot, and an outwardly projecting flange carried by said anchor plate and adapted to engage the body of said guy rod to hold said anchor be made without departing from the spirit of 4. An earth anchor comprising a metal plate having a curved metal body, said body being formed with an aperture adjacent its center and having a substantially flat body extending from said aperture to the end of said anchor, guide flanges between said flat portion andthe curved portion of said body leading to said centrally located aperture, and a border flange projecting from said curved body, forming a slot the walls of which communicate with said guide flanges said border flange being adapted to engage a guy rod to hold the anchor at substantially right angles to said guy rod.

5. An earth anchor comprising a metal plate having a curved metal body, said body being formed with an aperture adjacent its center and having a substantially flat body extending from said aperture to the end of said anchor, guide flanges between said flat portion and the curved portion of said body leading to said centrally located aperture, and a border flange projecting from said curved body, forming a slot, the walls of which communicate with said guide flanges, said border flange being adapted to engage a guy rod to hold the anchor at substantially right angles to said guy rod, said anchor being formed with a socket registering with said aperture for receiving thehead of a guy rod, and border flanges on each side of said slot on the lower side of said anchor, having sloping surfaces leading to said socket.

6. An earth anchor comprising a curved metal plate having a centrally located aperture for receiving a guy rod, said plate being formed with diagonally extending flanges leading from a point adjacent said aperture to the four corners of said plate, the body of said anchor between two of of said flanges being substantially flat and offset from the plane of the curved body between the other of said flanges, whereby two of said flanges form guide flanges for guiding the head of a guy rod to said aperture.

7. An earth anchor comprising a curved metal plate having a centrally located aperture for re' ceiving a guy rod, said plate being formed with diagonally extending flanges leading from a point adjacent said aperture to the four corners of said plate, the body of said anchor between two of said flanges being substantially flat and offset from the plane of the curved body between the other of said flanges, whereby two of said flanges form Vat substantially right angles to the axis of the guide flanges for guiding the head of a guy rod to said aperture, said anchor being formed with a socket on its lower side for receiving the head of a guy rod and with a slot registering with said socket and communicating with said aperture for receiving the rod.

8. An earth anchor comprising a curved metal plate having a centrally located aperture for receiving a guy rod, said plate being formed with diagonally extending flanges leading from a point plate, the body of said anchor between two of said flanges being substantially flat and offset from the plane of the curved body between the other of said flanges, whereby two of said flangesladjacent said aperture to the four corners of said form guide flanges for guiding the head of a guy rod to said aperture, said anchor being formed with a socket on its lower side for receiving the head of a guy rod and with a slot registering with said socket and communicating with said aperture for receiving the rod, and a sloping surfacev leading from a critical point on the lower side of said anchor at the entrance to said slot for guiding said guy rod head into said socket.

9. In an earth anchor the combination of a guy rod with an elongated anchor plate having a curved body, said guy rod having a head and said anchor having an aperture for receiving said head and means carried by said anchor for holding said anchor at substantially right angles tol said anchor extending substantially transversely to the plane of the anchor plate, said surface engaging one of the sides of said guy rod and said anchor being formed with a socket forl said head,

. the axisof said guy rod, comprising a surface on that portion of the socket opposite said surface' engaging said head to prevent turning of said anchor plate on said guy rod in one direction.

l0. In an earth anchor, the `combination of a guy rod having a head fixedly secured thereon with an elongated anchor plate having a curved" body, said head having a substantially cylindrical portion, and said anchor plate having a complementary socket for receiving said cylindricalportion of said head, a slot in said -anchor plate com? municating with said socket laterally, said anchor' plate being provided with an upwardly projecting flange located on the opposite side of said anchor from said socket and said upwardly projecting flange comprising a pair of lateral flanges for engaging both sides of said guy rod, and a substani 

